“Some nights, when we don’t have enough money for a meal, I have to go to sleep hungry. For years I had to compromise my health to feed my family. So how could I have afforded eye-surgery? What happened to me is no less than a miracle.” -Skeena Bibi

Sakeena Bibi has been living with cataract for over 20 years. Widowed at a young age, she was forced to raise her three children all by herself. A life of poverty and hardship soon took its toll on her. At age 40, her health and eyesight began to deteriorate. But most nights she struggled to put food on the table. For Sakeena, her children came first. Her own health was a secondary concern.

After Sakeen’s daughters married and left home, life became harder for her. Virtually blind, she was unable to work. And even carrying out her household needs started to become difficult. But one day her son came across an information poster on his way home from school. It was a notice for Al-Mustafa Welfare Trust’s (AMWT) free eye-care camp in Punjab.

When Sakeena came to see our medical staff, she did not expect that her vision could be restored. She simply hoped the doctors could help with the pain. So for Sakeena and her son, it was nothing short of a miracle when she was able to see again after the operation.

In the developing world, many people suffer from curable blindness. A simple, cataract operation, or corrective spectacles come at a small fee. But for people living in poverty, they are unaffordable. Cataract surgery costs just £35, and can give someone like Sakeena the chance to see and live independently again.